Bittersweet Symphony
by syfo
Summary: AU "Sango!" His shout disturbed the silent parking lot. "Yeah Yash?" She asked, leaning in the opened passenger window. He threw her a weak smile, "Just...take it easy." An even weaker laugh followed, "Don't worry about me." Formerly 'D22'
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I am finally a senior in high school! Meaning I have an abnormal amount of free time! I, of course, have been using this time to get back into InuYasha (the flame has been reignited). I decided to pick this fic back up and hopefully churn out those chapter ideas I've been having for years…**

**I do not own InuYasha (duh)**

**I hope you enjoy!**

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The inside of her eyelids shone red then black as the streetlights passed overhead. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to force herself back into sleep, but it was too late. She could already hear her driver singing the chorus under his breath, imitating the English as best he could. She couldn't make her mouth form words so she just moaned. He paused in his song and put a hand on her shoulder.

He sighed when she shook his hand off, letting her bangs fall further in front of her eyes.

"Sango, wake up, we're here."

It was her turn to sigh. "I know InuYasha, thanks for the ride."

The parking lot lamp above his car shone through the sunroof and windows, casting shadows under her already darkened eyes. He threw her a glance and tried to smile. She pushed open the car door and sluggishly pulled herself out, grabbing her book bag from underneath the seat.

As she was about to walk away, a "Wait!" disrupted the quiet parking lot. She turned around and leaned against the rolled-down passenger window, needing its support more than she liked.

"Yeah Yash?" She managed in between a yawn.

He let out a weak smile, "Just…take it easy Sango."

An even weaker laugh followed. "Don't worry about me."

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"Hm, this place looks even shadier at 3 am"

She continued mumbling to herself as she trudged up concrete steps, her raggedy book bag from the lost and found dragging behind her.

_Three more flights till' home. This is nothing. _

Sango scoffed. Home was a stretch. Her sneakers began to weigh more as her steps became louder, echoing off the walls. "Two more flights, 20 more stairs. Come on Sango, pull yourself together." She stopped, straightened her slouch and slung her bag over her shoulder.

Ouch.

A slowly healing gash on her mid back throbbed as the unwanted weight pushed against it. She clenched her fists around the straps and trudged up the stairs. One more flight.

Her hands burned as she almost desperately used the railing to pull herself up the last two steps and made a glacial walk towards her door. D7, D9, D16. The numbers were starting to blend as she passed each one. D22, here she was, as close to "home" as it was going to get for quite some time. She searched her pockets for a lone key, her tongue sticking slightly out of her mouth as she kept on probing.

"Fuck, it's probably in his car." She blew her bangs out of her eyes.

_I could pick this lock, I've done it before…_

Sango pulled a bobby pin from the top of her head, releasing side bangs too short to be kept in a ponytail and too long to look intentional. She bent the metal into a straight pin and shoved it into the keyhole. After a good minute of tactful yet blind maneuvering, she gave the doorknob a twist and pushed it open.

_Victory!_

She kicked her backpack into the room and flicked the light switch by routine.

Everything went black.

Sango had a momentary lapse and turned the lights back on.

"That's funny…I remember turning them off before I left this morning…" Sango very suddenly became aware of her surroundings. She could hear…whispers? One was definitely a deeper voice but she couldn't make out what they were saying. She pushed her back up against the wall and breathed silently.

Sango crept to the kitchen and quietly pulled open a drawer underneath the sink. While keeping her eyes on the bedroom door, she felt around for her 'worst comes to worst' cutting knife.

"Where is it?" she heatedly whispered to herself.

With a butter knife as substitute, she stalked over to the bedroom. She put her hand on the knob and felt it twist by it's own. The door flew open and carried Sango with it. She fell into the intruder, knocking them both to the hardwood. Instinct kicked in and Sango was on her two feet, taking a boxing stance she picked up from InuYasha.

"Who the hell are you?" She screamed, knife still in hand.

She was running on adrenaline, piss coffee and four hours of sleep. Not a good combination for whomever she was about to lay her wrath upon. The intruder pulled himself to his feet and in a deep rumbling voice countered,

"Shouldn't I be the one asking that? What are you doing in my apartment?"

"Your apartment? This is D22, which last time I checked was under my name. Now get out before I press charges! " Her inner voice was laughing at her, she couldn't afford a lawyer if she wanted to!

Realization spread on her burglar's face. "Miss…" He started, taking a step toward her. She took one back. "This is D23. Don't worry, this has actually happened before! The bottom curve of the 3 is just faded." She eyed him carefully, making due with the light from the window.

A high pitched laugh erupted from his sheets as a busty and probably very drunk girl fished her way out of her, _well, apparently his,_ sheets.

"Who is this chick Houshi? I didn't know you were into threesomes!" Another laughing fit. "Well…I'd be into it." She said in a deeper voice. The girl climbed out of his bed, only wearing a bra and from what Sango could see, a thong, and stumbled towards the man- her hands reaching for him as if her life depended on it. Sango stood at the door speechless. Was she hallucinating? All she wanted to do was sleep!

Flustered, she let out a "You should lock your door!" and sprinted out of the apartment and two feet from his door to her beloved D22. She frantically pulled on the door as if a murderer was behind her. The rusting hinges groaning in protest as she flew into her actual apartment.

She slammed the door and used all three locks. _It's a common mistake right? Everyone breaks into someone else's apartment at least once in their life…right? _

She needed to calm down. The coffee wore off hours ago and she was surprised she hadn't collapsed yet.

_Just calm down and sleep._

For once, she wanted to take her own advice. She flipped her bathroom light switch and shielded her eyes from the light bulb dangling a little too close to the top of her head. It was here she realized she was still holding the knife in a death grip and laid it down on the edge of the sink.

_I need a day off._

Looking up, hunched over the sink with a hand on either side, she found herself staring at a stranger.

The mirror shows no mercy.

"I'm not…ugly." She found herself saying. Her black hair dye was fading, which left hers roots a meek brown and tips a night black. She had black eyes, or at least they seemed that way to her. They were the darkest brown eyes could get and she hated them.

The light did cast unpleasant shadows but even she knew they were not to blame for the bags underneath her eyes. Sango sighed while probing a red oval on her cheek with her fingers, the mark still present from her falling asleep on her arm in InuYasha's car. With one last glance in the mirror, she decided to shower in the morning.

A fresh start to a new week. She only had three months of school left.

Her eyes rolled over to glance at her 100¥ watch. It was pushing 3:40. She kicked off her sneakers and practically crawled to her bedroom. She sighed in relief when she unhooked her bra and rolled onto the mattress. At this point, sleep was rapidly approaching.

She awkwardly pulled off her knee socks and skirt while staying on her back. Sango stretched out her arms and legs, hearing satisfying pops. Her eyes drifted shut as she tried to just lie down and think of not thinking.

Minutes later, they shot open and she moaned. She brought her left wrist to her eyes, which were now focused in their new lighting, and set her alarm for 7:00 am.

School in 3 hours, can't wait.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So bored, thought I'd crank this out. Enjoy! **

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"_Beep!_

_Beep!_

_Beeee…!"_

Sango's wristwatch went flying into the wall. A grunt escaped from underneath the comforter as a pair of eyes peered to see the damage done.

Sango was a light sleeper, to say the least. Her eyes shot open after the first high-pitched squeal of her alarm, though she lay awake in anticipation most of the night. Her eyes burned as she attempted to rub the exhaustion from them. She continued up to run her fingers through her hair, distracting herself with knots that dragged from her roots to her tips.

Pinching her cheeks, Sango dragged herself out of bed and walked to her bathroom, the hardwood icy underneath her feet. A quick, cold shower would wake her up fine. She started the water and slid out of her clothes, throwing them into the hallway. One foot cautiously tested the waters as she stepped in. Sango cursed as the water hit her back like daggers and forced herself still.

Minutes passed as the teenager stood still underneath the uneven flow of water. She started with a bar of soap on her legs, and though the large bruise on her thigh begged to be left alone, she scrubbed away. Sango continued to wash up her body and onto her stomach. Here she was gentler, trying not to re-open inch-wide circular wounds that left her grasping for air if strained.

She sighed and let the water run over her eyes and into her mouth.

Even showering was painful. The knob squeaked as the water dribbled to a stop. Her eyes followed the stream, pink from her blood, as it swirled down the drain. She pulled a towel from the curtain rod and dried herself in swift motions. Dropping the towel at her feet, she stepped in front of the mirror, naked and staring.

The circles under her eyes were darker than before and her freckles stood out against her pale skin. Although she had set aside three hours dedicated for sleep, she was awoken every couple of minutes by loud gasps and many drunken giggles and hushed whispers. She soon discovered someone was a screamer. Sango shuddered at the thought of someone having sex on the other side of her paper-thin walls.

Sango brushed her teeth and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. She groaned as she walked back into her room, the floor as cold as ever. She found clean underwear and carefully slid them on while eying the room for her abused black bra. Putting together her school uniform occupied most of her morning and Sango found herself hurrying to find her worn out sneakers. She slid her knee-high clad feet in and hurried out, not bothering to lock the door behind her.

The slaps of her sneaker soles against the concrete echoed throughout the hallway. Her untied shoelaces started making a rhythm as she picked up pace, not wanting to deal with InuYasha's short temper this early in the morning. Once she began hearing the melody of a popular song on the radio, Sango stopped walking. She rubbed her temples hoping to alleviate some of her self diagnosed insanity and bent down to tie her shoe.

A catcall broke the silence in the hallway. Sango whipped her head over her shoulder to identify the offender.

She slowly stood up, straightened her plaid skirt and turned around preparing to shove the whistle right up his ass. She opened her mouth to begin but immediately shut it. This man wasn't her usual middle aged, potbellied, construction worker admirer. For one, he was under twenty-five at least. Instead of a jackhammer, he was holding a laptop case and he didn't _look_ stupid. Of course, she'd be able to read his face better if she could see his eyes, which were currently focused on her chest. She was sure they would be a typical dark brown, peering at her with the typical: arrogant expression of a Tokyo U student.

"You know, don't you think you're a little too old to be wearing that? That high school uniform though…" He wiggled his eyebrows.

And maybe he was just your average lech.

Disgusted, she screamed, "You pervert!" She stalked over and smacked his handsome face. Surprise, as well as a red handprint, swept over his countenance.

"Can't you get off with some kind of personal lube as opposed to at the expense of a high school student _way _too young for you?"

"Wait, _you're_ in high school?" Sango's anger boiled over.

She shot him a look that could toast bread. A car horn was continuously sounding in the background. She turned on her heel and sped towards the stairs, careful this time to keep her skirt at a decent length. Practically skipping five steps at a time, she made her way through the lobby in zero time and ran outside to find InuYasha himself leaning against his car, smoking a cigarette and keeping the heel of his hand on the car horn.

"Damnit Sango! We're going to be late, again!" Smoke pouring from his mouth as he yelled.

She stomped over to his car with flames in her black eyes. She counted to ten in her head before responding, trying to keep her voice nonchalant and steady. She let out a deep breath and smiled at her best friend.

"Hey, hey, hey, Yash. Is that the way to be treating the one fueling your cigarette addiction, Mr. Seventeen-Until-August?" Sango said while subconsciously picking up her pace. She marched around the '97 Corolla, almost succeeding in forgetting what just happened. The passenger door was a bright yellow, standing out against the rest of the red Toyota. She pulled it open and slid inside the leather interior.

InuYasha muttered the language of a sailor under his breath, slamming the door shut behind him. The car shook to life and Sango reached for the radio. He slapped her hand away from the volume control and said, "My car, my rules."

"Is that why my door is Mustard?" She threw in casually, suddenly interested in he fingernails.

His eyebrow ticked and he bellowed "IT'S LIGHTNING YELLOW, _LIGHTNING!"_

"'Yash, there's a difference between 'lightning yellow' and 'mustard yellow', and your door is _definitely_ 'mustard yellow'." Sango gave him a nudge and focused her attention back to the radio.

He glared at her, revved the engine and sped off.

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A sharp jerk of the brakes threw Sango out of her nap.

"We're here," Inuyasha grunted.

A sense of Déjà vu hit Sango when she noticed InuYasha staring at her. She glared back at him. "Don't do that."

"Do what?" He said, throwing his attention to the ever so interesting dashboard.

"Don't…don't pity me. I don't need it." She glanced back at InuYasha, and he looked downright guilty. She found herself sighing at his unintentional puppy pout. "Sorry. Come on, let's go."

Sango lazily stretched in the passenger chair and remembered how the man in the hallway sounded so…surprised that she was in high school. His incredulous expression and tone made her feel self-conscious. Was it that hard to believe she was still in high school? Sure, any 18 year old could pass as 21 if they put on makeup and a push-up bra, but she didn't think that her lack of sleep made her look old enough to be some cosplaying prostitute!

"InuYasha?" She found herself almost whispering. He stopped rolling his cigarettes to look Sango in the eyes. She continued. "Do I look…old, to you? I know I've got these bags under my eyes and I'm a bit washed out and I don't really wear makeup but do you think that I…look bad?"

He was speechless for a moment and hesitantly reached to put a hand on her shoulder. "Sango, you know I'm not the best with words but…you're my best friend and you're very…" He grasped for words. "…Pretty" His face got a shade pinker than normal and he avoided her eyes. He withdrew his hand and focused more than ever on his tobacco.

She shifted her gaze down to her feet. "Well don't hurt yourself InuYasha, but thanks."

Sango went through motions of getting her book bag from under the seat. It wasn't there. She ducked her head between her legs and tried peering under the seat. "Did I come here with a book bag InuYasha?" He contemplated her question a bit and he licked the end of her cigarette and put it behind his ear. "No?"

"Damnit! I must have left it in that guys apartment."

"Apartment? What guy's apartment?" InuYasha transformed into big brother mode so easily that it made Sango feel slightly incestuous when she thought back to when they dated. "I'll tell you later, trust me." She got out of the car, kicked the door shut and checked her left wrist, which was apparently now ridden of a wristwatch. "What's the time?"

The starting bell rung and they both cringed. "Let's get sick first period." Sango said as she took down her hair. The high ponytail was beginning to give her a headache.

"What happened to_ 'I wanna do well this semester' _Sango?"

She cast him a sideways glance. "You know what happened. Now light me a cigarette."

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"-And now I have to go back to that guys apartment to get my book bag! And that other guy from this morning…_the nerve!"_ Sango groaned in frustration as she relived the events of her morning with InuYasha. The two friends were already halfway through a pack of cigarettes before she finished her story. InuYasha listened as well as his attention span would allow before he added, "You remember what he looks like?"

Sango thought about his question, trying to put together what was starting to resemble a wanted poster sketch of her mysterious, promiscuous neighbor, but she couldn't get any details straight. "Well, it was dark**,** so I couldn't really see his face."

"I meant from this morning Sango! I'm gonna' go kick his ass." Inuyasha spit from his window, his toes tapping on the windshield. He flicked his lighter in annoyance.

"Oh yeah, right. He had dark eyes and straight black hair hitting his ears-" she started.

"You just described every guy in Japan." InuYasha butted in.

"I wasn't done Yash' jeez! Not everyone stands out as much as you." She gestured to his shoulder-length blonde hair, grabbing a strand and letting it slip through her fingers.

"Not everyone's half who knows what and gets all the recessive traits." He let out his signature, _"Feh",_ and pulled away from her hand. "So finish your description."

"Ok, ok. He was pretty close to you in height and that's about all I remember…" She flicked her cigarette with her thumb and watched the ashes blow away in the wind. She didn't think mentioning that he was handsome would do InuYasha any good. "It was still pretty early and I was working barely any sleep." She brought her left wrist to her eyes. "Damnit! What time is it?"

"It's lunch time!" A loud, high-pitched voice yelled from outside the car.

Both InuYasha and Sango rolled their head to the left to see a black haired fifteen-year-old girl happily tapping against the driver's side door. "Aww, you guys are no fun! Can't you at least _act_ surprised?" Light brown almond-shaped eyes seemed sad from outside the car. InuYasha and Sango glanced at each other and began laughing. Kagome smiled to herself at the sight.

"I don't think so Kagome." Sango said between giggles. InuYasha was busy trying to fish through Kagome's yellow backpack after rolling down the window to steal it from her.

"Onagi! Sweet!"

Kagome slapped his hand away from her lunchbox. "That's not for you!" She said, using one hand to defend her lunch from InuYasha and another to hand over the rice ball to Sango. Kagome dropped it in Sango's hands.

"Kags', I'm not that hungry. Really! You take it." Kagome gave her a persistent just-eat-it look and continued to shove the offer into Sango's hands.

"Kagome, she obviously doesn't want it." InuYasha said while plucking the rice from her hands and shoving the fist sized Onagi in his mouth.

"INUYASHA YOU PIG!"

The petite girl started beating him with her fists as Sango climbed out of the car and grabbed Kagome by the hips, hoisting her out of the window. "You're going to kill him one day." InuYasha's face was slightly blue from being strangled seconds earlier. He rubbed his neck and mumbled "Bitch" underneath his breath.

Kagome crossed her arms and tried to keep a straight face. "I'll pretend you didn't say that."

Turning to Sango, she asked, "Where were you today? I needed you in math!"

Sango cocked her head to the side, her long dark brown hair following suite. "What are you talking about? You're the top in our school, you skipped two grades already Kagome!"

Kagome blushed a little, looking at an oblivious InuYasha and then back to Sango's black eyes. Kagome cupped her hands around her mouth and in a slightly lowered volume said, "I meant I needed you to help me with…Hojo. Today he brought me new shoes with specially fitted inserts! I don't even know how he got my footprint!"

Kagome ran her fingers through her bangs and fiddled with her long hair in anxiety.

Sango laughed as she cracked her knuckles and asked, "Want me to beat him up?"

Kagome looked as though she seriously considered the offer and replied, "I don't think it'll do anything… He's so nice, he'd end up helping you."

Sango shrugged. "Next time I guess."

"I still think it's the uniform. Why would they make me keep mine from middle school?" She tugged at the short, green, pleated skirt. "It's so…embarrassing! This school doesn't even use seifuku!" Kagome was right about that.

Sango glanced down at her own uniform. It consisted of a red and black pleated plaid pleated skirt at fingertip length. She also wore the provided, white, knee-high socks and a loose white collared shirt that she was just now noticing was a bit sheer. She made a mental note to wear a nude bra to school. Kagome's uniform certainly stood out in a crowd and did seem to suit any Otaku's schoolgirl fantasy.

InuYasha scoffed. "Like anyone would think that _you_ were sexy."

"That's it!" Kagome jumped back in the window, pounding InuYasha's chest with her small palms.

InuYasha yelped as he tried to undo his seatbelt while using those same hands to protect his face. "Sango, help!"

She was already walking away. "Kagome, lunch is almost over and I know you don't want to be late for home economics!" she yelled behind her. Kagome jumped back out of the car and pulled down her white, sailor's top. She patted InuYasha's head.

"Later, Dog Boy," he growled and revved the car.

"I get it already, I'm going!" She said, grabbing her book bag from the pavement and brushing pebbles from the straps. She turned to leave when InuYasha's voice stopped her. "If that Hobo kid bothers you again, come to me." She felt her ears turn red and jogged to catch up with Sango's long stride.

InuYasha longingly followed Kagome's retreating form with his eyes. He sighed and lit up his last cigarette.

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Sango yelled a "Thanks Yash!" over her shoulder as she walked towards her apartment. The hike up the stairs seemed infinitely easier than last night's, or technically this morning's.

Her pace slowed as she entered the D hallway. She knew what she had to do. First, she had to apologize for breaking and entering and what could be considered attempted assault…Secondly, she needed her backpack. While she skipped school constantly, Sango couldn't not do her schoolwork. The over-achiever inside seemed to survive through the horrors of the past year.

D23. _It really does look like a 2._ She hesitantly brought up her hand and knocked twice, curt and loud. She eyed the doorknob as it twisted and pulled out of her sight. She looked up and gasped.

"You?"


End file.
